Patent Awards for Humanitarian Ventures

Patent Awards for Humanitarian Ventures

By Roy Zwahlen, 02/13/2012

The USPTO recently announced the Patents for Humanity Challenge which awards patent owners and licensees for innovations that address humanitarian needs. Judges will chose winners from four categories:

Clean technology – includes technologies that improve public health by removing or reducing harmful contaminants in the environment, such as water filters, sterilization devices, and cleaner sources of energy for light, heat, cooking, or other basic needs.

Information Technology – encompasses both physical devices and software which markedly improve the lives of the poor, such as portable computers, cell phones, or internet access devices being used to foster literacy, education, or other knowledge which improves living standards.

The reward is of particular interest. Award winners have the option to accelerate either:

Ex parte reexamination proceeding including one appeal to the BPAI from that proceeding

A patent application including one appeal to the BPAI from that application or

An appeal to the BPAI of a claim twice rejected in a patent application or reissue application or finally rejected in an ex parte reexamination.

About the author

Roy is Associate Counsel at BIO and the main contributor for Patently Biotech. He is a lawyer by training, with a background in international and national politics. He grew up in the developing world and believes that innovation can and does solve many of the world’s problems. Because of this, his work focuses on creating a worldwide policy environment that fosters innovation in the biotechnology sector to prevent and cure diseases such as HIV, to increase crop yields to feed more people, and to decrease the harmful effects of industry on the environment. Roy spends his free time keeping up with his three kids, a wife that knows everything (no joke), and serving in his church and broader community. Learn more about Roy from his Linkedin Profile.